


Half of My Heart

by sunlightdances (glowinghorizons)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Mild Language, Slow Burn, Smut, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-09-06 10:59:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16831303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glowinghorizons/pseuds/sunlightdances
Summary: All you’ve ever wanted your entire life was to have a job working at a National Park. You finally get a chance, but things are not as they seem. Working in a remote area of Rocky Mountain National Park, you just hope you can get through your first summer.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a long time coming. I wanted to do another series as soon as I completed my first, and a recent trip to Colorado got my wheels spinning again. Thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging. I hope you enjoy it!

Your first thought when you pull your truck up the long gravel drive is that this cannot possibly be the right address. You frown, looking down at the map on your passenger seat, a bright red circle over the area you were in.

When you got your assignment from the Park Service, it was a dream come true. Now though, looking ahead at the derelict cabin ahead of you, it was looking more like a nightmare.

You cut the engine and lean on your steering wheel, blowing a strand of hair out of your eyes. “Okay,” you sigh to yourself, “Let’s go see what the hell I got myself into.”

You haul a bag out of your truck and head up to the rickety front steps, watching carefully so you don’t end up stepping right through a weak spot.

Your interview with your supervisor was suspiciously brief, and you didn’t get a lot of details. He seems like he’s not much for words, so you had just taken it with a grain of salt in the moment. Now? You wish you knew more about the area you were in and what exactly the full extent of your duties are.

_“There’s a campground at the Northeast end of the Park. It’s not as popular as our other campgrounds, but we get mountain climbers and hikers out there. It needs some cleaning up. I’m going to send you and another team out there to get started.”_

_Just then, the door bursts open and two men almost fly through it, each of them glaring at the other, straightening their uniforms as they struggle for breath._

_“Sorry we’re late.”_

_Your supervisor glares at them. “You’re lucky Bobby put in for you, or–” He stops mid sentence, glancing at you. Awkwardly, he clears his throat. “Anyway. Katie, this is Sam and Dean. Sam and Dean, this is Katie. She’s new.”_

_“So are we.” Sam says with a friendly smile, shaking his hand. You’re struck at first by how tall he is._

_“The three of you are going to be doing some maintenance. Some of the campsites need to be cleared out of brush, and the main shower building needs some work.” He turns to you, “I know this probably isn’t what you pictures when you graduated, but we all start somewhere.”_

_“Honestly as long as I’m working here in the Park, I don’t care what I’m doing.” You say honestly, and you can feel – what was his name? Dean? You can feel his eyes on you. You blush, feeling self conscious._

_You supervisor smiles, a little rough around the edges. “There’s an old cabin at the end of the road towards the campground. It’s a little rough, but nice enough. You’re staying there, Katie. Sam and Dean are going to take up the role of camp hosts and stay in the campground.”_

That brings you to now, inside the sparse living quarters you’ve been assigned. You’re not a materialistic person, you don’t care about that, but– when you heard this campground was remote, they weren’t kidding.

There’s not even a camp store close by, so you make a mental note to make the drive to Estes Park and force yourself to deal with the crowds long enough to do some heavy duty grocery and supply shopping.

A knock on the doorframe as you’re standing there with your bags makes you jump, and you turn around to see Dean, one of the other rangers standing there, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Sorry - I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” you smile weakly. “Are you settled in at the campground?”

He nods. “Just down the road. Have you been over there yet?”

“Not yet.” You set your bag down by your feet. “Looks like I have my work cut out for me here, too.”

Dean grins, eyes roving over every inch of your new home. You notice the way his eyes linger on the flimsy lock and the broken windows, and watch curiously as his expression hardens, just a bit. “My brother and I can help you fix this place up. All the way out here… you should at least get the windows replaced.”

You shrug. “The Park Service is supposed to handle all of that. I don’t think–”

“It’ll be faster if we help you do it.” Dean suggests. “Unless you don’t want– sorry if I’m overstepping–”

“No, no.” You take a step closer to him. “I appreciate it. Thank you. I just– I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this, that’s all.”

He’s quiet for a minute, biting his bottom lip. “Well, I don’t think we actually have to get started on the campground until tomorrow. So just walk down there if you need anything.”

“Thanks.”

He gives you a little wave as he heads out the door, and you try not to feel self conscious when he looks back over his shoulder as he gets to the end of the gravel drive.

.

.

.

4 hours later you’re exhausted. You managed to find some cleaning supplies tucked away in a closet and scrubbed down the entire cabin. There’s not much in the way of furniture, but a new mattress was supplied for you, and you collapse into it with relief.

A knock on your door makes you groan, and you barely manage to make it to your feet, shuffling into what is technically the living room so you can answer the door.

The other, taller one – Sam, your mind supplies – is there, a shy smile on his face, and a toolbox in hand. “Hi. Dean mentioned you need a new lock put on?”

“What are you guys – the welcome committee?” You tease.

“Figured it’s the least I can do if we’re going to be doing manual labor together,” He says, grinning.

“I appreciate it. So… have you guys been with the Park Service for long?”

“Ah… no. Not really. A few months.”

You hum non committedly as you watch him get to work, and in the distance you can make out the sounds of families at the campground. It brings a small smile to your face - you remember the trips with your family as a big reason why you wanted to work at a National Park in the first place.

“Always wanted to be a handyman?” You ask, and he snorts.

“Not exactly. You know how it is. Shit duty before you can get the real work.”

You frown. “Yeah.” You stare out the window, admiring the view of the Rockies. “It’s beautiful out here though, I’m just glad to be here at all.”

Through the open door as Sam works, you can see Dean approaching, taking a minute to admire the way he looks in his uniform. You’re not _blind_ , he’s a good looking guy. There’s something there keeping you at a distance though, the clench of his jaw and the way his eyes dart around making you a little unsettled.

“Were you calling me?” He asks his brother immediately, not even bothering to look at you. You bristle a bit, but ignore it.

“What?” Sam looks up briefly from where he’s finishing screwing in the plate on the new door lock. “No. I’ve been here the whole time.”

“I thought–” Dean looks back out the open door. “Never mind. Are you almost done? I need to talk to you.”

Again, you bristle, because it was like night and day with this guy. Wasn’t he just here this morning having a polite, borderline-flirty conversation with you? You roll your eyes at yourself, because you don’t have time to care about this. Sam and Dean are coworkers, and for right now, neighbors. That’s it.

“That’ll do it,” Sam says. “You should be all set. The key is the same, but just a little more secure.” He smiles at you.

“I appreciate it. This place doesn’t need any help being creepy, so at least the lock will give me peace of mind.”

“If you need anything else, let me know.” Sam says, and you watch out of the corner of your eye as Dean rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Thank you, Sam.” You reply, laying it on extra thick, the petty part of you wanting nothing more than to annoy the older Winchester as much as possible. God forbid you actually take up Sam’s offer to help out, not to mention the fact that Dean was the one who pointed out all the repairs that needed to be done.

Men. You’ll never understand them.

The Winchesters leave, and you feel exhaustion once again settle into your bones. You’re finally going to take that nap, and nothing is going to interrupt you this time.

.

.

Dean’s shoulders are tense as he and Sam walk back to the campground. Dean can’t shake the feeling that something is off - especially because he _knows_ he wasn’t imagining hearing Sam’s voice earlier as he was doing research.

“You know, you could have been a little nicer back there.” Sam says.

“I was distracted.”

“Still. It’s bad enough she’s getting roped into this whole thing–”

“That wasn’t our call. We had no say in that.”

“I just find it weird that the guy in charge would bring us in here knowing full well what we could be up against but still puts someone out here alone in a cabin. Doesn’t even bother to close the campground.”

“You think he has something to do with it?”

Sam shrugs, stopping as they get to the door of their trailer, pulling it open. “Wouldn’t be the craziest thing that’s ever happened.”

Dean frowns. He can’t make sense of this. The attacks that have been happening were written off earlier on as bear attacks. But after the frequency ratcheted up, no one could pretend anymore. The director is an old hunter friend of Bobby’s and decided he couldn’t handle this one by himself.

“We should go around and introduce ourselves to the campers,” Dean says, thinking out loud. “Hopefully we can get some stories out of some of them and figure out what we’re dealing with here.”

Sam nods. “Good idea.”

They’re both quiet for a minute, before Dean smirks, “Did you see her checking me out in this uniform, though?”

Sam rolls his eyes. “Dude.”

“What? She was.”

Sam snorts. “You’re so full of yourself.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's POV. Dean struggles with how long it's taking him and Sam to figure out what they're up against, and tries to figure out how to keep the Reader out of harm's way in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this part.

**_Dean’s POV  
_**  
Dean doesn’t sleep a wink that night, except an hour where he wakes up in a cold sweat.

He thinks it’s the altitude giving him a headache and making him feel nauseous, but he also wonders bitterly if it’s the nightmares. They haven’t stopped in a few days, and the unsettling feeling he’s had since they arrived at Rocky isn’t helping.

He steps out of their home for God knows how long - a trailer that seems like it hasn’t been moved since the eighties - and takes a deep breath. He’s got to admit that the mountain air and this view first thing in the morning? He gets why someone would trek all the way out here.

It’s not even eight in the morning yet and still he can hear the sound of traffic on the main road and the campground. He frowns - he was hoping the campground would stay relatively empty until they can figure this out. He makes a mental note to tell Sam they need to do their rounds early today and see what they can find out.

Movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention and he turns his head to see Katie coming down the short road (a long driveway, really) from her cabin to the campground. She’s in her uniform, her long hair braided and hanging over one shoulder. She rubs the sleep from her eyes with one hand and has a steaming mug of coffee in the other. Dean has to smile at that - a girl after his own heart.

“Morning,” he calls out, and bites back a grin when he sees her jump, just a little.

“Christ,” she mutters, turning in his direction. “How long have you been standing there?”

“A few minutes. Just enjoying the sun.” He says, smiling lazily. “Headed to the campground?”

She nods. “Need to check that everyone who’s supposed to be out is out, and everyone put everything in the bear boxes overnight and…” She stops herself, a blush settling over her cheeks. “You don’t need me to tell you that, it’s your job too.”

He shrugs. “No worries. Besides, you telling me you’re doing that now saves Sam and I a trip later.”

She turns to face him, a mischievous grin on her face. “Well if you’re making a trip down there later, I’ll leave the restrooms to you. Have a great day!” She says, her tone sweet as honey, turning and heading down the road, her braid swinging behind her.

A surprised laugh bubbles out of him as he watches her go. He knows he was an asshole to her yesterday. He was preoccupied, trying to figure out what the hell he heard in the woods, but he knows he’s got to have a better attitude if he wants to make her believe he and Sam are really just here to work.

A _creak_ behind him has him tensing, but he recognizes Sam’s footfalls and his shoulders relax.

“Morning,” Sam says. “See anything out there?” He asks, gesturing towards the woods.

“Nothing. Didn’t hear anything last night, either.”

Sam sighs. “We better check in with Bobby. See if he’s figured anything else out.” He turns and heads back to the trailer, and Dean stands there for a few more minutes.

He feels like he’s being watched. It’s not an unfamiliar feeling for him anymore, which should probably be more worrying than it is.

Another _creak_ , and Sam sticks his head out of the trailer door. “Do you want pancakes?”

.

.

Dean’s muscles protest as he hauls another bundle of wood into the small shed by the ranger station at the entrance of the campground. His back aches, and his feet hurt, and he’s in a bad mood - a really awesome combination to have when Katie finally shows up.

“Wow,” he draws the word out, “Only a half hour late!”

She rolls her eyes. “I radioed.”

“You said, and I quote, ‘I might be a few minutes late to relieve you’.”

Dean’s pretty much over this job. He’s got to keep up the pretense, that’s the only reason he’s doing this, because otherwise he’d be out of there. They’ve got bigger fish to fry, but for some reason the Director thinks it’s hilarious to have him and Sam do all the grunt work while he’s got them here. Dean suspects this is all Bobby’s fault.

Katie is watching him carefully, and Dean starts to feel a little self conscious. “What?” He barks.

“Nothing. You just seem to really hate this job. I can’t figure out why you’d come all the way out here to do a job you hate.”

He has to bite his tongue, because she’s right. This isn’t what he wants to be doing. He doesn’t want to be trying to pull off some kind of undercover operation. He’s a hunter, and staying in one place for too long makes him feel itchy. He wants to catch this thing before someone else gets hurt, and get back to the bunker.

“Let’s just say this was Sam’s idea and leave it at that.” He smiles sarcastically at her, hoping she’ll get the hint and and stop asking questions.

She shrugs. “Whatever. Just trying to make conversation.” After a few silent moments, she adds, “And I’m sorry I was late. I’m just… tired today. Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

“Yeah, well.” Dean murmurs, trying to fill the awkward silence. “First night in a new place will do that to you.”

She nods absentmindedly, looking at her boots. “I thought I heard–” She stops herself, shaking her head.

Dean tenses. “You thought you heard…”

“It was nothing.” She shakes her head. “Just some campers down at the campground getting in late. That’s all. Although…”

Dean takes a half step closer. “Although?”

She meets his gaze. “I thought I heard someone say my name. But they were obviously talking to someone at their camp site. That’s what woke me up.”

.

.

Dean makes up some excuse and gets back to the hosts’ campsite he and Sam are staying on as fast as he can, because now they finally have something to go on. He _knew_ he wasn’t imagining it when he heard someone saying his name the day before. And now Katie heard it too.

She’s right though – it could have been a coincidence and someone talking loud enough for her to hear. But the ambient noise at the campground isn’t really enough to wake someone up out of a dead sleep.

He lets out an irritated huff when he realizes he can’t just call Bobby and ask him about this new development - of course there’s no cell service this high in the mountains.

“What are you doing back here?” Sam asks with a frown as he comes through the door.

“I don’t know what we’re looking for yet, but something is trying to draw people out into the woods. Katie said she heard a voice last night, and I heard something yesterday, too.”

Sam’s face hardens. “How would anyone or anything know our names?”

Dean makes a grand ‘I don’t know’ gesture, feeling frustrated. “Dude, how the hell should I know? Look, I’m just saying. A lead is a lead. Right now this is all we have.”

Sam shakes his head in agreement. “Alright, alright. I’m going to go talk to a few people, see if I can get anything out of them.”

“Tomorrow we need to find an excuse to get into town and find a library, and call Bobby.”

“How are we going to get away with that?” Sam looks pensive. “What if– can’t we just…”

Dean’s already shaking his head before Sam’s even done speaking. “No. No, absolutely not. She can’t know. It’s safer this way, and you know it.”

“Unless something tries to lure her into the woods again, and she gets curious.” Sam mutters.

The idea of Katie falling victim to whatever they’re hunting has something clenching in Dean’s chest. The girl has literally spent her entire life trying to become a Park Ranger, and he’ll be damned if she’s not able to live a long, happy life doing what she loves.

He’s going to catch this thing, and he’s going to kill it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and the Reader get closer, and Sam and Dean head into town to try to make some headway with the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little angsty as we get into what Dean’s thinking here.

“You want me to cover for you… why?” You ask, thinking you’ve never looked more like your mother than you do right now, arms crossed over your chest as you stare at Sam and Dean.

“Just for one night, so we can go into town and get supplies.”

“Why a whole night? Won’t that take you like… two hours at most?”

To be honest, you’re a little jealous that they’re not inviting you into Estes Park with them. You haven’t been into the downtown area since you moved here close to a month ago. Realistically, you know someone needs to stay behind. You just feel… a little left out. Sam and Dean are brothers. Built-in best friends. You’re… you don’t know what you are.

You feel like the third wheel more often than not. And you haven’t met any of the other rangers yet that are stationed near the campground where you are.

“Look… can we bribe you?” Sam asks, and you have to smile at that, because at least he’s honest. “Give us a list of stuff you need and we’ll pick it up.”

“It’s fine,” you say, shaking your head, “go have fun without me.”

“We just got those satellite phones,” Dean says, crossing his arms over his chest. “We can be back here in… 25 minutes, probably, right?” He looks to his brother.

Sam looks confused, but nods slowly. “Right. Sure. Just call if you need anything.” He smiles tightly before practically dragging his brother away to their absolutely _ridiculous_ car - you can appreciate the beauty of it, but you’ve discovered one of your favorite things to do lately is to needle Dean about how he thinks mountain driving once it snows is going to be in that car.

You can’t make out what they’re saying, but you hear the tail end of an argument before Dean revs the engine. Sam waves at you briefly as they take off, leaving you to head back inside your cabin and hopefully take a nap before you need to take up your post at the campground, checking registrations.

.

.

.

“Nothing like stirring up paranoia with someone we barely know,” Sam mutters in the passenger seat, and Dean rolls his eyes.

“I was being friendly. Aren’t you always telling me to do that?”

“ _We can be here in 25 minutes_ –” Sam mimics Dean’s deeper voice.

“Whatever. Look, she heard something a few weeks ago. She told me herself. Since then, we’re not any closer to narrowing down what the hell we’re hunting.”

Dean’s agitated, and he knows he needs to cool it before he blows their cover. Katie isn’t stupid, and if he keeps needling her to find out if she’s noticed anything else weird at night, she’s going to press him on it. He’s not confident that they can keep this a secret from her for as long as it seems to be taking to figure out what they’re hunting and solve this case.

They’ve been in Rocky Mountain National Park for close to a month. It’s been years since he and Sam have taken this long to solve a case, and he doesn’t think they’ve ever had to be under cover for this long. It’s setting him on edge, making him feel like he’s off his game.

On the plus side, there haven’t been any more attacks since they’ve been at the park. It’s a relief, but he also feels like whatever it is is just biding its time.

“I know what your problem is,” Sam says as Dean coasts into Estes Park, following signs for the public library. “You like her.”

Dean scoffs. “Dude. We’ve known her three weeks.”

“She’s smart, and doesn’t put up with your shit. You like that about girls.” He grins to himself.

Dean rolls his eyes again. “Think whatever you want. I don’t want her to get hurt because we can’t figure out this case. There’s a difference.” Guilt creeps into his voice.

Sam’s quiet for a minute. “We’ll figure it out, Dean. We always do.”

In the library, Sam finds a quiet place to call Bobby where he won’t be overheard but can still pull some books if he needs to. He relays all the information they have - the attacks seem to be random and scattered. Campers found sometimes miles away from their campsites, alone. No sign that they were dragged away like a bear or a cougar might do. Almost like they left of their own free will before they were attacked.

Dean feels like time is ticking to find this thing before it hurts someone else. He hates feeling like they’re behind, like they’re missing something. While Sam keeps talking to Bobby, Dean finds a computer and settles in.

.

.

.

You decided to take the long route around the campground today - on foot. You’ve got a coffee in one hand and walk slowly past the sites in the late afternoon, saying hi to guests and checking registrations on empty sites.

The campground would be full again tonight - this time of the year is peak tourist time. You smile at the sight of a family with a small girl - the Dad patiently showing her how to set up the tent correctly. It reminds you of doing the same thing with your family.

You wave as you get closer. “How are you guys doing?”

“Making progress,” the Dad gives you a wry smile, his wife laughing from where she sits at the picnic table. “I’m Michael, this is my wife Leslie.”

“Katie,” you say, “I’m staying at the cabin by the campground entrance. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Actually,” Leslie says, “would you mind talking to our daughter? She’s really nervous about bears, as much as we’ve tried to make sure she doesn’t worry.”

“Absolutely.”

“Amanda,” Leslie calls, and a little girl with blonde, curly hair comes over, grinning. “This is Ranger Katie, and she knows all about bears.”

The little girl’s eyes go wide. “You do?”

You kneel down next to her. “I sure do. Are you scared of them?”

Amanda nods.

“That’s okay.” You lower your voice to a whisper. “I’m a little scared of them too.”

A rumble behind you draws your attention away for a second, and you want to roll your eyes when you see Dean pull up to the registration booth in his absolutely _obnoxious_ car.

“Sorry, my friends are here.” You say, waving at the brothers when they get out of the car. “Amanda, you don’t need to be nervous about bears.”

“But what if they try to get in the tent?”

“Here’s what you do - don’t keep any snacks in your tent, even those extra tasty ones,” you tell her, poking her stomach gently. She giggles, and you smile at her, hearing the gravel crunch as Sam and Dean come up behind you.

“Bears _love_ gummy candy, cookies, and even toothpaste.” You tell her, “So does my friend Dean,” you say, gesturing at him with a conspiratorial grin. You look up at Dean and give him a wink.

“Toothpaste?!”

“I know, right? So don’t bring anything but your blankets and PJ’s into the tent with you, okay? Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Amanda smiles brightly at you before running back to her Mom, and you wave at Michael and Leslie before straightening to your full height, turning to greet the Winchesters.

Dean has a weird look on his face but schools himself back into cool nonchalance when you meet his gaze.

“Successful trip?” You ask, and Sam nods.

“Uh, yep. Yep. Got everything we needed.”

“Great.”

A moment of awkward silence passes.

“Do you–” You start, wondering where you’re even going with this. “Do you guys want to have dinner at the cabin tonight? Nothing fancy, I’m just–” You sigh, “It’s a little more boring at night than I thought it would be.”

Dean snorts. “If that kid brings her toothpaste into her tent you’ll have your work cut out for you.”

You smirk, “What’s stopping me from sending you to her rescue, huh?”

He opens his mouth to retort, but Sam elbows him. “We’ve got some work to finish, but I think we’ll take you up on your offer, right Dean?”

Dean rolls his eyes. “Right. Dinner.” He looks at his watch. “See you in a few hours?”

“Sure.” You find yourself smiling at him almost against your will.

.

.

.

Dean scowls as Sam paces in their small trailer. “Look, we think we know what it is, now. We just have to catch it. Can you _sit down_?”

“A crocotta, Dean. Do you know how hard it is to _catch one_?” He asks, using air quotes. “Bobby said he’s never even seen one. We’re in over our heads, here.”

Dean shakes his head. “No, no. Look, we’ll have to set a trap.”

“If people keep camping here, we won’t need to. It’ll have all the people it could ever want in one concentrated area.”

Dean feels a headache coming on. “We’ll work on it, okay? I thought you were supposed to be the one telling me we had a handle on this.”

“That’s before I knew we were dealing with an ancient animal that can mimic human voice.” Sam says sarcastically. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I’m going to take the car and go to the shower building by the Welcome Center. You’ll be alright here?”

“Fine. Go, go.”

Dean sighs. He’s trying to put on a brave face, but he knows Sam is right. This entire time he’s known something was off. Obviously, if Bobby thought they needed to be here. But this? This is– he’s never hunted anything like this.

He keeps thinking about Katie. The way she talked to that little girl, trying to make her feel better about camping. How is supposed to tell her that there’s something out there that even she can’t protect people from? More than that, how is _she_ supposed to stay protected?

He likes her. More than he should. She’s pretty - beautiful, really - and smart. She keeps him on his toes and even though he hasn’t known her for long, he wants to. He wants to ask her questions and learn more about her. This is the absolute worst time in the world for him to have a silly crush. Dean Winchester doesn’t _do_ crushes.

He knows Sam’s going to kick his ass if he knows how truly screwed Dean is, but if Katie finds out they’ve been keeping this hunt from her, she might kick his ass herself.

.

.

.

A few hours later, they’re walking down the gravel drive towards Katie’s cabin. The lights are on inside, and it looks so inviting, Dean can’t help the smile spreading across his face as they get closer. Sam’s still in a bad mood, but Dean hopes for their cover’s sake he manages to keep quiet about it tonight.

Sam knocks on the door, and Katie’s there quickly, pulling open the door with a breathless smile on her face. Dean is frozen for a second, knocked for a loop at the sight of her in civilian clothes, not her usual uniform, her hair piled in a knot on her head. A few tendrils have escaped, and there’s a bit of flour on her cheek from where she’s touched her face.

“Hi,” she says almost sheepishly, “I decided to bake. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Hope we don’t mind,” Dean mutters, “Ridiculous.”

Sam grins. “We haven’t had a good meal in months.”

“Come in, come in.” She ushers them in, and Dean’s pleased to see the place looks much better than it did when she first moved in.

She rushes back into the small kitchen and pulls something out of the oven, and Dean’s mouth starts watering. “Is that steak?”

She grins. “Thought you guys might like it.”

“Marry me.” Dean says, laughing as a pretty pink blush overtakes her cheeks.

“God. Shut up and sit down, would you?”

The three of them practically wolf down the food. It’s true that Sam and Dean haven’t had a home cooked meal in ages, and she hasn’t either, by the looks of it.

It’s not long before the three of them are almost slumped over their chairs, too full to even consider moving.

“That was the best thing I’ve ever eaten.” Sam says, and Dean holds up his drink in agreement.

“Seriously. Thanks, Katie.”

She blushes again. “It’s no big deal. I always cook more than I mean to so I figured I might as well share it.”

Dean can tell Sam is fidgety, even though he’s trying not to show it. Not having solved this case yet is grating on him, too, which is why he’s not surprised when Sam practically springs from his seat. “Should we have a campfire out back? I think we should have a campfire.”

“Go for it, boy scout.” Katie teases. Dean doesn’t think he’s ever seen her so relaxed. He almost hates himself because he’s sure they’re going to ruin it. They’re going to have to tell her about this case sooner or later, and he’s not sure he’ll be able to stand it when she inevitably tells him she never wants to see him again.

Sam leaves the two of them alone, and Dean offers to help with the dishes, despite Katie’s protests.

“You know,” Katie says, breaking the comfortable silence as she washes and he dries, “I think I’m actually getting used to it here.” She smiles softly, and Dean hates himself. He hates himself because she’s going to find out about what’s happening here, and it’s going to ruin this place for her.

He forces a smile. “I know what you mean. Sam and I… we travel a lot. Never been in one place for this long.” Another lie. The bunker is there, waiting for them. Not that she can ever know that.

“My parents were park rangers.” She says, meeting his eyes for a half second. “I never wanted to do anything else. I used to beg them to take me to work with them in my junior ranger outfit.”

“Now _there’s_ a photo I’m dying to see.” He grins, elbowing her gently. “You were good with that kid, earlier. She looks up to you, I can tell.”

She smiles. “I like teaching kids about the outdoors. I want them to love it as much as I always have.”

Looking at her, the sweet blush still on her face and the stars practically dancing in her eyes as she talks about this life that she obviously loves so much, Dean doesn’t think he’s ever wanted to kiss someone quite as badly as he wants to kiss her right now.

“I want to do some target practice with you,” Dean blurts. He wants to punch himself. Is that really all he could think of to say?

She looks up at him, questioning. “What?”

“I just– when’s the last time you actually fired your service weapon? I’d feel better now that it’s getting colder and animals are on the move–” Dean thinks it’s a miracle if she believes this bullshit, “– I’d just feel better if I knew you had a way to protect yourself.”

“I had to be certified, you know.” She says, hands on her hips.

“I know, I know. I just– humor me, will you?”

She sighs. “Tomorrow. We’ve got some free time in the afternoon after our rounds.”

“Great. I, uh– I better check on Sam.”

Dean doesn’t wait for a reply. He heads out the door quickly, practically running from her and whatever it is she’s making him feel. It’s too dangerous, and he can’t let himself be the reason she gets hurt. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader and Dean spend some time one-on-one, and the reader overhears something they shouldn’t. Sam thinks he has an idea what they’re hunting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooof, you guys. I’m so sorry this has taken me so long. The long and short of it is that I’ve been feeling a little discouraged about this story, but it means a lot to me and I want to finish it. So... here it is. Two more parts left!

“So.” Dean claps his hands together. “Target practice.”

You roll your eyes. “I want it on the record that I said this is a waste of time and unnecessary.”

“Everyone needs practice,” he says, arching an eyebrow at you in a way that you hate that you find attractive.

You try to refrain from rolling your eyes again and hope that he doesn’t see it, but the smirk on his face makes you think you’re not as sneaky as you thought you were.

“Look, we drove all the way here,” he says, referring to the training facility for Park Rangers on the outskirts of Rocky, “We might as well get some shots in.”

You sigh. “Fine.” Before he can say anything else, you aim your gun, taking a deep breath before firing, emptying your clip. You already know you’re spot on, and have to really fight to keep the smug smile off your face.

Dean looks speechless for once, and you can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of you.

“Are you happy now?”

He turns to you, an unreadable look on his face. He clears his throat. “That’s– uh, yeah. Good shots.”

“I appreciate your worry, Dean, but I promise I know how to look after myself.”

His jaw is tense, his face still lined with concern. “I know you do. I just–” He takes a deep breath. “Have you heard about the bear attacks?”

You frown. Of course you’ve heard about it. They briefed you before you started your job, but you didn’t want to think too hard about it. You figured if you were careful enough and did your job, no one else would get hurt.

“I’m not saying you should shoot a bear, okay, but you get why I’m a little on edge.”

You nod, an idea springing up in your head. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve got just the thing.”

Dean looks skeptical, but he does as you ask. You leave the firing range and tell Dean to leave the Impala where it is. You walk with him down the dirt road towards the Visitor’s Center. It’s relatively warm today, the sun warming your skin and making your mood brighten.

You and Dean chatter idly as you walk. He doesn’t tell you much about him, but he tells you enough. He’s got plenty of embarrassing stories to tell about Sam, too. In turn you tell him more about your parents and the summer trips you’d take to National Parks with them every year.

At the Visitor Center, you drag him to the gift shop with you, and head to the ice cream counter at the small restaurant inside. He rolls his eyes, but goes with you, and refuses to let you pay. You smile, ducking your head, wondering why this feels so… so intimate. It’s ice cream. You’re a grown ass woman.

Still, when you sit down at a picnic table outside with Dean, it feels different. You find yourself cataloguing the details of his face, the freckles scattered across his cheekbones and the way his eyes crinkle at the sides when he smiles.

He catches you looking, and you blush, looking away quickly.

His spoon clatters into the plastic dish. He leans on his elbows, closing the distance between you slightly. “Am I imagining this?” He asks, and you feel your heart rate speed up.

“What?”

He swallows, gesturing back and forth between the two of you. “This. I– I feel like…” He trails off.

“I feel that way too.” You tell him.

.

.

Dean feels like he’s on a roller coaster. Every ounce of self preservation he has is screaming at him to put the brakes on. He’s reading too much into this, he’s feeling frustrated and on edge and it’s messing with his judgement.

But then he looks at her, the way her hair shines in the sunlight and the delight on her face as she waves at some small kids who are sitting near them, and all his doubts just disappear.

He’s talking before he can stop himself. “Am I imagining this?”

She’s caught off guard, clearly, but he can’t stop now.

“This. I– I feel like…” He doesn’t want to finish his sentence. He feels crazy. He knows he can’t do this, he can’t get attached. He can’t… but he wants to.

“I feel that way too,” she says, and something deep inside him clicks into place.

“We barely know each other–” Dean says, shaking his head.

“I know enough.”

They walk back to the car and Dean feels like a damn teenager. They keep stealing looks at each other, Dean’s grin stretched wide as a breathless laugh leaves her lips. They’re walking close enough that their hands are brushing together every so often, and he wants to bottle up this day. He wants to remember this feeling, always.

He doesn’t get this very often. This feeling of contentment. “The ice cream break was a good idea,” he tells her, grabbing her hand and tugging her to a stop when they get to the car, his thumb rubbing over the top of her hand. “Thanks.”

“Just don’t brag about it to your brother when we get back.”

He groans in mock offense. “You ruin all my fun.”

He becomes even more determined to solve this case on the way back as he glances at her out of the corner of his eye, her hair blowing in the breeze coming from the open window, eyes shut as she inhales the warm air.

When they get back, Sam is there, greeting them with a wave and a smile. He raises his eyebrow at the way Katie sticks close to Dean’s side, a shy smile on her face. She squeezes Dean’s hand before heading off in the direction of her cabin.

Dean shoots his brother a warning glance, almost daring him to say anything. “Don’t. Look, we’re killing this thing. Tonight. Whatever it takes.”

Sam looks skeptical, but doesn’t argue. “Let’s hit the books, then. I think I have an idea of what it might be.”

.

.

The entire day with Dean feels like something out of a dream. It’s absolutely not what you thought would happen when you headed off to target practice with him, but you’re not sorry it happened.

You know this is probably a dumb idea, but there’s something about him. You feel the connection as strong as if there were a literal string connecting the two of you, and the relief you feel knowing he feels it too… it’s kinda overwhelming.

You have to do admission fee checks for the next few hours, so you head down to the entrance of the campground, fully aware you’re going to spend the rest of your shift daydreaming anyway. You can’t remember the last time you felt like this.

The hours fly by.

When the sun goes down, you shut up the entrance building and do a last sweep of the campground before heading back to the cabin. On your way back you see the light on in Sam and Dean’s trailer, and a smile blooms on your face in spite of yourself.

You veer off the path and head towards the now-familiar dwelling, raising your first to knock. You can just make out a whispered conversation on the other side of the door.

“The entire reason we’re here is to catch this thing. Staying in the campground was supposed to do that. This is clearly above our pay grade–”

Sam’s voice.

“We can’t just leave! There are people sleeping in there every night that have no idea what’s out there, and she–”

“Look, Dean. I know you like her. But we never planned to stay this long. We need back up. We can’t do this by ourselves.”

You hear Dean groan. “God dammit. I knew posing as Rangers wasn’t going to work for long. You know, we’re lucky that this thing–”

You’re pushing open the door before you can stop yourself, blood running cold at what you’re hearing. “What the hell are you talking about?” You feel like you’re going to be sick.

“Shit,” Sam hisses, turning to face you.

“Posing as Rangers? What– what do you mean?” You will your voice not to shake. “Tell me the truth.”

“Just wait a minute,” Dean asks, hands out in front of him in a placating manner.

Before you can think about it, you’re pulling your sidearm from your waistband, angry because the only reason you even have it on you right now is because you actually believed he _worried_ about you without a way to protect yourself – what a crock of shit. “If you’re impersonating federal officers, then you’re under arrest.”

“Woah, hey. Slow down,” Sam says. “Let us explain.”

“You can explain to the Director,” you hiss through clenched teeth, angry at the tears you can feel building up.

“We never lied to you about who we are–”

You let out a bitter laugh. “Are you fucking serious?”

Dean deflates. “Just let me–”

“I’m tired of waiting.” You reply, “I’m turning you in.” You turn on your heel, leaving the RV as fast as you possibly can, your only thought about getting back to your cabin and getting to the Visitor Center.

Dean’s voice comes from a distance behind you as he calls your name. You should have known he would follow you.

“Please, get out.” You say flatly, starting to throw some clothes in an overnight bag. “I’m going to the Visitor Center. I’ll stay in Estes tonight.”

“I was going to tell you. Why we’re really here.”

You whirl around, anger radiating off you. “Oh yeah? You were going to tell me eventually? After you got me to _trust you_?” You clench your jaw hard to keep from crying. “Well, spit it out then.”

Dean looks pained, looks like he wants to reach for you, but he doesn’t. “We’re here because the Director knows our friend, Bobby. He reached out when it seemed like the bear attacks weren’t random, and he asked us to come help.”

“What - you think some… some _serial killer_ is out there? Is that what this is? You’re undercover cops?”

His smile is bitter. “Something like that. Look – whatever’s out there? It’s dangerous. It’s– it’s not human.”

You freeze, a laugh of disbelief bubbling out of you. “Oh, god.” You turn away, pushing your hand through your hair. “You’re crazy. Both of you.”

“You have to trust me–” His hand lands on your shoulder. You shake it off angrily.

“Why should I?! You _lied_ to me!” You hiss, though it comes out as a half-whisper. You’re so angry and hurt you can feel it vibrating through you.

His face is open, desperate. “No. I didn’t lie.”

“You– you’re not who you told me you were.”

His hand is outstretched like he wants to reach for you, “You never would have believed me if I would have told you why I was here.”

You feel suffocated. “I can’t do this right now. I want you to leave–”

He’s shaking his head before you even finish your sentence. “I can’t leave you here. Look, you have no reason to trust me, and I get that, but if you stay here–”

“I can take care of myself! I’ve always taken care of myself and I don’t need your help.” The words come out more forcefully than you intended, but you’re so upset you can’t keep them in.

You can’t stand the look on his face. He’s hurt, he’s worried, but most of all, he _understands_ and you think that’s what hurts most of all. You trust him. Deep down, you do trust him. So why is it that the one person you’ve felt a genuine connection with in the last five years has just turned out to be another person who manipulated you?

“Please go. Please.” Your voice cracks, and you think that’s what does it.

His face crumples. “I– okay. I’m sorry. Today was– it wasn’t fake. It was real, okay? Just… call me if you need anything and I’ll find you.”

You don’t say anything.

A minute later, you hear the familiar sound of the screen door closing, and then there’s nothing.

Silence.


End file.
